Substrate function
The primary function of a substrate, whether organic or inorganic, is to provide a fixation site for plants as well as a good environment for root growth. The three most important elements of a substrate for a good development are: oxygen, water and nutrients . Being oxygen the most important of them, since without this element, plants cannot absorb water or nutrients. The roots of the plant carry out a constant exchange of CO2 and oxygen. The substrate must be sufficiently aerated to allow CO2 to escape and be replaced by oxygen, which is essential for normal root development. When some circumstance prevents our marijuana plants from absorbing this element, the metabolic and respiratory activity of the plants is paralyzed and this affects all vital processes .
Characteristics of a good substrate for planting marijuana seeds
A good substrate must have basic characteristics for good oxygen exchange and retain the necessary amount of water for the plant to assimilate the nutrients and breathe through the roots. When the substrate is too compact or tends to puddle, we cause the roots to rot and avoid their development. On the other hand, if the substrate dries too quickly, it will mean that the water is evaporating before the plant can assimilate it. This will cause an excess of salts if the feeding is continuous. A good substrate should dry in a maximum of 3-4 days. It is common to have a good substrate to grow cannabis but not treat it properly. You have to maintain the wet-dry periods . Do not water again until the water from the previous irrigation evaporates, thus allowing good perspiration. It is also important to know the substrate with which we work to adapt the diet to it. There are various types of substrates , but basically we could separate them into two groups: < / p>
- inert substrates: are those that will be used for hydroponic cultivation (without agricultural soil) and, as their name suggests, they do not have any type of nutrient. Among them we could find expanded clay, rock wool, or coconut, as the most common.
- fertilized substrates: among them we find all kinds of peat mixtures, with humus, organic matter or even worms.
We recommend to use specialized substrates for growing cannabis if you are not very experienced . A good land will make things much easier and will give us a better final result.